New Seat Belt Law Doesn’t Restrict Truckbed Riding

Last Sunday, the new truck seat belt law was put into effect which forces people in trucks and commercial vehicles to wear a seat belt. Whether or not you agree with the government making you safer is beyond the point, but they did seem to miss a big loop hole in the law. You can still ride in the back of a truck with no penalty.

A prosecutor who gave a legal interpretation to police departments statewide said the new law does not specifically prohibit an adult from riding in the bed of a pickup truck. This has angered the people behind the seat belt law. State Senator Thomas Wyss said the interpritation is ludicrous while Evansville’s own State Representative Suzanne Crouch also thinks the prosecutors intepretation is wrong.

The EPD and Indiana State police are still not ticketing people in the back of trucks, or in the back of SUVs though they are discouraging people from riding that way.